Safety belt



' Feb. 3, 1948.

L. F. ERBAQH ET AL I SAFETY BELT Filed July 19, 1946 lezarezzce ZJzflaa,

Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Riedi, Muskegon,

Mich,

assignors to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Delaware Application July 19, 1946, Serial No. 684,878

7 Claims. (01. 51-174) The present invention relates to a safety beltand more particularly to a belt that is readily attached to andautomatically detached from the wearer.

An object of the invention is to provide a sai'eti belt that can be wornby the operator of a machine, such as a floor sander, to assist in theoperation of the machine but which, in cases of emergency or when thebelt is no longer needed, is instantaneously and automatically releasedor removed by the operator removing his hand from the machine handle.

In the operation of certain heavy machines, such as floor sanders, whichare pushed and pulled by the operator, it is advantageous to strap themachine to the operator by abelt attached to the machine handle andwhich passes around the operators waist. The strap permits the operatorto pull the machine by the strap and removes part of the strain from theoperators arms. An object of the invention is to provide a readilyattachable and detachable device. for connecting such a belt to thehandle of the machine.

Moreover, such machines when used on floors that contain polish ofinflammable material sometimes burst into flames due to the friction ofthe sanding device on such material or by the inflammable dust collectedin the dust compartment of the machine being ignited for any reason. Anobject of the invention is to provide an attachment for such a beltwhich may be instantly released as the operator removes his hand fromthe machine handle. Such a device is desirable at all times because ofthe time it saves and is of great importance should the machine catchfire, as it permits the operator to release himself from the machine assoon as he notices the fire.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine handle with the belt attachedthereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional viewrof the handle and beltattachment.

Fig, 3 is a top plan view of the part of the handle shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line i4 of Fig, 2.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly fragmentary, of the device attached toan operator.

While our invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, We have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detailone such embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosureis to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of theinvention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodimentillustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings there is shown a machine, such as a floor sander I0having a sleeve or collar II in which is secured an elongated operatinghandle I2. A threaded bolt or other means (not shown) is preferablyprovided to secure the handle in the sleeve and to permit its readyinsertion therein or removal therefrom. The handle may'be' of wood orother suitable material and circular, square or of any other desiredcross section.

On the side of the handle remote from the operator there is provided anelongated shallow groove I3 extending from an end of the handle to apoint near its center where it communicates with a narrow slot I4extending through the handle from the side on which the groove i cut tothe side opposite thereto and on which side is a cutout portion I5,

Rotatably mounted on a pin or stud I6 extending through the handle andtransversely of the slot I4 is a belt latch member I I having a bodyportion I8 in which is a central opening to receive the stud I6 and along arm I9 and a short arm 20 extending at right angles to, but inopposite directions from, each end of the body portion I8. The long armI9 is adapted to be received snugly in the groove I3 and the short arm20 is adapted to extend over the cutout portion I 5 and terminate justshort of the collar II.

The short arm 20 of the latch member I! is adapted to receive a ring 2|on one end of a belt 22, the other end of which 23 is looped around theright side (as shown in the drawings) of the handle I2. A fasteningdevice 24 secures the end 23 of the belt 22 to the handle where itremains so long as the belt is in use.

To attach the belt to the machine operator it i only necessary to movethe latch member I I to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 andslip the ring 2| around the short arm 20 of the latch member. Theoperator then grasps the long arm I 9 and pulls it into the groove I3which causes the short arm 20 to be brought up tightly against thehandle I2 and forces the ring 2 I into the cutout portion I5. The top ofthe handle arm I9 is flush with the adjoining sides of the handle l2 soas not to interfere with operation of the handle and because of thelength of the arm I9 as compared to the arm 20, little effort isrequired to maintain the parts in locked position, as shown arm and thebelt will be removed from around 10.

Such removal is entirely auto-H the operator. matic and substantiallyinstantaneous if any pull is exerted against the beltwhich iszalwaysthe.

c se as the weight of the belt and ring aresufil x 0' nt to rotate thelatch member;

We claim:

.1. A safety belt attachment for a..manually movable machine adapted tobe pushed and pulled by the operator and provided with a handle-and;

a belt with one. end secured to part of the handle.an'd-themther-endprovided with aloop, means to connect said looped-endof the belt to thehandle comprisinga.-latch membenmovably mounted in thehandle and. havingameans for ready attach- "mentto, and detachmentfrom,- said' loop -and means adapted to be grasped by the operatorforlocking' said. loopby said first mentioned-means,

saidimember' being automatically unlocked when the ;operatorreleaseshis. grip.

2.-A safety beltattachment for amanually;

movable machine adapted tobezpushed and pulled bythe operatorand:providedwith a-handle and a beltTwithcneend secured-to part :.ofthehandle and the other end provided with ailoop, means to connectsaid-looped endof. thebeltto- .thehan-y dle sicomprising a :flatch:member swingably -,,mounted--.on .the handle'andthaving, a pair ofarms-adapted tow-be :brought: into: contact" with the handle; onearmbeing: adapted to receive said loopandlock 'it'againstthe handle-,-the other: 40,. 1.,2 6 9 4 arm= being 'adapted'to-be graspedjby the hand:of :the operator when he grasps the handle-whereby filer of :thispatent:

7 Number 4 both arms are moved into contact with the handle andmaintained in such contact until the operator releases the handle.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the arm grasped by theoperator is substantially longer than the other arm. V

4;:A device :as claimed in claim-;2:-wherein the :handle. is; providedwith;.a',.groove-;to receive the arm grasped by the operator.

. 5. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the latch member comprises abody portion mounted -in the handle and the arms extend in oppositedierections: from. the, ends of the body portion.

-6elwdeviceflas claimed in claim 2 wherein the .latchzmembervextendsthrough the handle and is fmcunted onia pin'therein.

, 7. A safetybelt attachment for a manually movable machine adapted tobe pushed and pulled by; thejoperator and provided with a handle and abelt with one end secured to part of the machine and the other. endprovided: with .acatchmember, means to connect .saidcatchmember. tofithehandle comprisinga latch .memberlmovableamounted in the handle andhaving means for ready lat- -tachment :to,- land. detachment. from, said.catch .member, and means adapted-to be grasped. bythe -operator f0rlocki-ngsaidcatch member bymsaid first .mentioned means; saidmemberbeing. automaticall-y unlocked? when. the operator releases his grips Il LAWRENCE Fl ERBACH.

ARNOLDBIEDI.

..f The following references: :are .ofzrecordr in the "UNITEDSTATESIPATENTS'

